Where We Leave Off
by Originals143
Summary: Best friends share laughs in happy moments, share tears that trickle down in moments of failure, and then someday they have to part ways. But when they meet again, they simply continue... where they left off. A Friendship Day special.


**A/N**: This one had been nagging me since a long time. Heavily inspired by a video I watched on YouTube and absolutely loved the idea.

Wanted to keep this as a Friendship Day special and no-one else came to my mind apart from my favorite, favorite canon best friends – Tarika and Tasha.

* * *

_**:: Where We Leave Off ::**_

.

The car screeches to a halt, after having witnessed the most wordless journey in its lifetime – something none of its two occasional owners would have thought in the wildest of their dreams.

Long, fulfilling talks of substance and some meaningless, peals of laughter, sobs happy and heartbroken, screams ecstatic and agonized, and abuses, all friendly; there's nothing that isn't etched on the facets of the car; there's nothing that has gone unheard by its corners.

Tonight however, has been different altogether. There's no awkwardness though, there was never any kind anyway in all these years. Tonight there's just plain silence, something which needs to be accumulated, for the words that have to be spoken. For the first time in thirty years. _And for the last time._

"Want to come along to the terrace?," Tarika asks in a subdued tone which surprises even her own self, pulling the key out from the ignition. The question is answered by an audible sigh and she looks sideways to be greeted with a slow nod.

"It's so peaceful out here!," Tasha says smiling as they settle down on the torn rug as Tarika places the glasses and the bottle of wine before them. "Of all the places we've gone to, all those pubs and restaurants and those hideous eat-out joints, you knew this one's the most comfortable to have a conversation," she speaks and her best friend returns a knowing smile.

"That it is! And this conversation is such, there had to be no other place!," says Tarika pouring the wine in the glass before handing it over to Tasha.

As the glasses are clinked and the first sips are taken, Tasha releases another sigh and shakes her head vigorously. "I still can't believe I'm doing this. I have- I have never felt so confused in life…," she pauses momentarily to look at her best friend, who is listening intently and patiently. "… and I hate it! I hate being so confused!"

"Don't be confused, Tasha!," Tarika says, placing her wine glass down and reaching out to pat her best friend on the shoulder before continuing in a slightly softer tone, "All my life I've always seen you focusing on your dreams, reaching out for them… and then achieving them so gloriously. I admire you for that, trust me. No matter how much I fight with you, I really do admire you the way you take life as it comes!," she says earnestly and Tasha gives her a rueful smile.

They spend a few minutes in silence, listening to the breeze flowing around under the vastness of the dark, clear sky above them and the stars twinkling in their own dim light. At a distance not very far away, the leaves rustle to the commands of the wind, playing music against the cool, fresh air.

"It's never going to be the same again, Tarika! Not us, not the times we have spent, not our team… not _this_!," says Tasha, emphasizing on the last words as she gestures to the current scenario. She inhales deeply, fending off the tears threatening to form in her eyes.

"Yeah…," Tarika mumbles, her voice quavering as the realization hits her. _Indeed, it will never be the same again._ But she knows she can't let herself fall weak. Not at the moment; _that_ will ruin everything.

And till here, she has forced herself to stay as rigid as she can – much to her surprise. She has a long way to go, before she gives in to that shattering sound resonating across her heart, so cacophonous she doesn't know for how long can she sustain.

"But… this is necessary. It's for your good. You've gotten such a brilliant opportunity, Tasha. Go for it! Everything else, right now, is… is secondary," she convinces her best friend, unable to fathom why she grimaces suddenly as she speaks the last part.

Tasha turns around to look at her, and when she does, the tears give away with a surge of dominance. "I just don't understand why am I being so selfish all of a sudden? I mean, I am happy about this promotion and the- the way it is important for shaping my career and everything. But… it also means I'll have to move to a different city, away from all of you, and… and how easily I agreed to it. I'm- I'm not happy with _that_!," she says amidst ragged breaths and unruly sobs, letting the emotions flow with the words.

"Sometimes I- I just wish they wouldn't have promoted me. I wish things would have continued the way they were. I- I don't want that fucking promotion!," she sniffs, letting her voice go downcast as she buries her head between her thighs.

"Are you mad? Tasha, you've been proving yourself consistently for the past four years… and the way you've excelled in your duties, it would have been absolutely stupid of the department to _not_ promote you!," says Tarika in an admonishing tone and ploughs on as her friend is unconvinced. "You deserve this, Tasha. You've _earned_ this, and I feel you'll go out there and be a wonderful inspiration to so many people!"

"At the cost of moving away from you?," asks Tasha, still unwilling to take pride in the words of commendation that Tarika has showered on her.

"Well, you do have to lose something," Tarika shrugs. "But come on, it's just a different city. It's not like we'll not stay friends anymore. We will… we will just not be seeing each other every day. But we'll stay connected. We'll give it our best!," she urges with a painful smile.

Tasha stares at her best friend for a few seconds before she speaks in a somewhat impaired voice, "Will you be fine with this, Tarika? Will you be able to survive without me?,"

As a reply, Tarika chuckles and speaks, her tone barely above a whisper, "Yeah, I guess so. It's just the fact that… I have never really gotten used to staying away from you, since childhood, you know? It'll be hard, definitely. But I'll be fine. _We_ will be fine! It's true I'm going to miss you! I'm going to miss your mad, crazy presence around me all the time and all the weird things you do that make me want to bury my head in shame, I'm going to miss your antics to put me constantly in trouble. And I'm going to miss being teased in the lab by you, even though I always felt like putting your head through a wall every time you did that! But there's always be all of this to look forward to. And I _will_ look forward to all of this!"

That earns her a gloomy smile from Tasha. "This is harder than I imagined! I don't know what I'm going to do!," she says, a lump rising in her throat as she throws her head back to face the sky.

"Just go with the flow, Tasha. Everything else will fall in place!," says Tarika, smiling through the pained eyes.

Tasha simply nods and smiles back, somehow making peace with the truth that she knew all along, that did not need to be said.

"Are you ok now, inspector Tasha? Or should I say- 'senior inspector'?," Tarika asks grinning as she raises her hands to quote the said delegation with her fingers. Tasha shakes her head, giving a dry chuckle.

Releasing a long sigh, Tarika takes Tasha's hand in her own as she whispers, "I'm so happy for you! I know you'll give your best in whatever you do… wherever you are. I'm really proud of you!"

Tasha replies with a smug smile which quickly turns into a smirk as she plays along, "Yeah… and wherever I go, I'll always be your bitch!" she says, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"_That_ you better be! And to let you know, fall and get hurt as much as you want, but just don't die, please!," says Tarika, fresh tears appearing in her eyes at the mere thought of picturing what she has just spoken.

"You think I'll die and let you live in peace so easily? Now that I'll be seeing you after ages, I'll have all my pranks and abuses saved, and when we meet, you my dear, are going to be _so wrecked_!," Tasha says, her eyes dancing with mischief and Tarika sticks out her tongue at the former. "Please fuck off as soon as you can!," she snaps.

"Don't worry, I'll call Abhijeet sir occasionally to check if he's doing well or gone insane by staying under your constant company. Oh my God, now that you'll spend even more time with him, I'm more worried for him!" Tasha smirks, widening her eyes in a dramatic manner at Tarika who returns her a thoroughly disgruntled face and a sharp whack in the head.

The bickering and laughing continues through the night, till the darkness of the night is replaced by hues of faint purple and orange. "Tarika?," Tasha stops her best friend as the latter is about to get up and go inside the house.

When she speaks, her voice is unnaturally heavy and it becomes evident that all the years and the memories they have made, all the times they have shared and all the talks they have talked comes crashing down on her in an instant. Especially of the last night.

The catastrophe her heart has been bearing till now swamps her with agony so overwhelming, it scrunches every bit of her already devastated soul.

"You know, nobody takes care of me like you do. Even though I've turned you from the quintessential nerd you were to the mildly spoiled, fearless badass that you are, even though I land you in a soup so many times, you've always been this- this amazing friend who cares for me like a mother! I'll- I'll miss all of this Tarika! The way you always stand up for me when everyone else doesn't, the way you stop me whenever I'm about to do something really stupid… the way you yell at me for being too careless but then tend to me whenever I get injured...I'll- I'll miss all of this! I- I know all of this makes no sense now, but what am I going to do without you, Tarika? Wh-what am I g-going to do w-without y-you?," Tasha says, sobbing uncontrollably and pulls her best friend in a tight hug, never wanting to let go.

Tarika rubs her best friend gently on the back, attempting to soothe her. A whole new stream of tears vehemently flows down like the captive waters of a dam being suddenly let loose. And unashamed to admit, the pain in her heart is excruciating.

She somehow gathers herself as she makes Tasha face her. "Tasha… we have come a long way till here. We have stood strong, these _thirty_ long years. We have so much to give each other, and so much to take. And when we meet again, we'll have so much more. Because we'll continue from where we left off. We will, Tasha. Because that's what best friends do! That's what _we_ will do!," Tarika assures her best friend, her tone softer than she expects, the tears making her throat dry. The latter nods her head in agreement.

"I know you're a senior inspector now, your post and your duty is important, you'll have to be extra responsible, blah blah blah… but promise me you won't do anything stupid, will you?," asks Tarika with a lopsided grin. No one knows Tasha the way she does. The latter responds with a nod, amidst rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"You better come and meet me soon. Or else I will come there and I will literally smash your head through a wall!," Tarika warns in a derisive tone amidst the dried tears and Tasha gives her an affectionate smile. "I will! To make your life hell again," she teases and they share a contrite laugh as they proceed to walk inside.

Behind them, the sun shines in all its glory, marking the onset of a new day, of new things to await, of new promises to make, of new memories to build… and of some to cherish lifelong.

.

**:: The End ::**

.

**A/N**: Happy Friendship Day, everyone! :)


End file.
